News

Stand by your man

When George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, gave his tax-slashing speech at the Tory party conference, his wife, Frances, was nowhere to be seen. Contacted at her “west London home”, Mrs Osborne explained that she never went to party conferences because “It’s his job, not mine. I’m not a politician.” Wow! Wives of senior politicians no longer required to drop everything and assume the role of doting other half? No obligation to hold hands in public, kiss on platforms or perfect the unconditionally supportive smile? This is revolutionary stuff. And the best part of it is that Mrs Osborne stayed away to look after the kittens. Still, the tradition of the supportive wife will not go away that easily.

In any other career, men do not need their wives on hand at significant moments (quite the reverse). But politics is a different game  only this summer, Nicolas Sarkozy was forced to